Come Back to Me
by Shaman Zel
Summary: Sequel to Here in The Moonlight.. r&r plz P.o.v. is ch. name
1. Ash

Sorry for the wait... this is the sequell  
  
"Back so soon?" I hear the same bodiless voice as before.  
  
"Was that the condition? To only let me live until I saw her once more?" I ask Death.  
  
"No, you will live, at least for the moment. If you can endure more pain than before. It's actually quite a pity that I have to let you live. Look down, and you'll see what I mean." It says.  
  
I do, and I see that everything from my waist down is clamped in the mouth that I saw earlier, the jaws of death.  
  
"You are, quite literally, between the jaws of death. It really is a pity." And that is the last thing I know before the nothingness swirls away into all too familiar pain. But I will endure, for myself and Misty.   



	2. Misty

"Doctor, how is he?" I ask. I trying to keep the anxiety out of my voice, but I fail miserably.  
  
"I think he will live." He replies.  
  
"God… Thank God…" I exult, relieved.  
  
"You aren't looking to good yourself, perhaps you should be treated as well, you have a profusion of bruises and wounds all over your body. I'll give you a bed next to your boyfriend. You can go up in five minutes." The doctor leaves.  
  
"I go up to his room. My mind is ecstatic. HE'S GOING TO LIVE!!!!  
  
"How are you feeling, Ash?" I ask.  
  
"Much better now that you are here." He says through gritted teeth, trying to smile, trying to hide his pain. I can see through the weak mask easily.  
  
"You can't fool me. You must feel horrible with all those waves of interminable pain crashing into you."  
  
"I'm sorry I made you cry. I would never want to be the cause of personal pain."  
  
"Oh, Ash.. why do you have to be so selfless? You're breaking my heart. Getting hurt so much."  
  
"I wouldn't want to do that either, but I can't help but do my best to protect you from harm."  
  
"At least you'll be alright."  
  
"…"  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I'm afraid that that is not entirely true."  
  
"What….? What is it?" I ask quickly.  
  
"I've been having… meetings with death itself. I've seen myself literally on the brink of death and even in its jaws, and not metaphorically." He says morosely. "Death gave me a revelation. It told me that I would live, but my life was not unconditional. When I saw it for the second time, I thought that the condition was that my life was only to be extended until I saw you again. But it said I was to live … for now…"  
  
"We'll share whatever hardships together, I'll always be with you." I say in what I hope is a reassuring tone.   



	3. Misty

2 months later...  
  
"Okay! you're both free to go."  
  
"Thanks, doctor Josh."  
  
"Come back in... about a month, just to check up because you're just fine now." He replies.  
  
3 weeks later…  
  
Ash walks with a slight limp, but otherwise he's fine. We're staying with Brock in Pewter, so that we can return to the hospital one weeks from now. There have been pleny of battles, and as Ash has not been permitted to battle yet, he coaches me, and I've already won a few tournaments. We've gone out on a couple of occasions, yet they are unnecessary, what we have each gone through, Ash especially, has proven our love.  
  
"Misty?" Ash shakes me out of my reverie. "You must promise me that no matter what happens next week, we will continue with our life.  
  
"Yes, Ash, I promise." We seal it with a kiss. Over the week, Ash begins to get a lump on his throat, and excuses himself to the bathroom more. I can hear his coughing and retching, although he tries to hide it, and I make him promise never to hide anything from me anymore.  
  
Finally, it is time. The ride to the hospital seems to take eternity, as my heart, beating in unison with Ash's, screeches to a stop. What if he has a disease? What if I do? No, surely we have had enough to befall us, and I push the black thought out of my mind.   



	4. Ash

Up the stairs we plod, the elevator is broken. I slip on a stair and down I go, twenty steps down to the previous platform. Misty rushes back down, kisses me, and assures me that everything will be alright. The doctor calls us in separately. I am examined under the X-ray, and subsequently asked questions, Misty must be facing similar treatment.  
  
"Have you um… coughed up any blood?"  
  
"Yes, Sir"  
  
"Do you feel any pain?"  
  
"Yes"  
  
"Where, Ash?"  
  
"At my throat."  
  
"Is it sharp or dull?"  
  
"It's a droning dull pain with interjections of sharp pain."  
  
"Have you um…. Kissed your girlfriend lately?"  
  
What? He dares to ask me such personal questions? The nerve? Why…  
  
"I'm not asking this to be intrusive, son, but rather to discover something… medically vital."  
  
"Oh. Yes, on the way up."  
  
"This is bad, you could have infected her as well."  
  
"What?" My breath catches in my throat What did I do to my beloved? "With what?" I ask cautiously.  
  
"I'll tell you… after I carefully analyze her…"  



	5. Misty

"Well, I have some good news..." says the doctor. "Really?" I interrupt? "Thank god? I thought something terrible was wrong with Ash." "...and some bad news." /Yeah, probably the fee./ "I'll have to tell you the bad news first..." "Okay, how much do we have to pay." I blurt out. Ash glances at me. "It's not that we are ungrateful, we would just like to know." Ash covers for me in haste. "..." "Go on, Gomen nasai It won't happen again." "Ash, I'm very sorry to say that you are positive for Tuberculosis of the lymphatic gland." We answer with silence. What? This cannot be?! "Forgive me. But the good news, if one can call it such, is... well you have not been infected, Misty" What? You mean I cannot share my beloved's pain? He's gone through... so much for me. "You will be exempt from payment for... serious grievance." "A- Arigatou." Responds Ash after a pause. Somehow, we end up back at Brock's house. Ash puts me to bed. It seems that I am taking this harder than he. He comforts me instead of vice-versa. And I drift off to sleep.  
  



	6. Misty

I awake in Ash's house. Somehow, I ended up here. Ash comes softly in, notices me, awake, and leaves me alone w/ the thoughts of the previous events. He returns shortly, with a tray. He lays it gently beside... wait, its his bed! The tray is laden with food. He says soft words of comforst with a wry smile, sitting beside the bed. Then, suddenly, he runs off to the bathroom and locks the door. I can hear retching from within, but can hardly empathize, he is so sweet.  
  
Ash comes out, sees the tray still beside me, picks it up, and brings it over. To an outside observer, it would seem that I was sick rather than he. I take courage, and take the tray from him. I ask him to sit beside me. He smiles softly and complies.  
  
"I've gone through the medical dictionary. There is no current cure... but my body could purge the disease naturally.. they say i have about 4-5 years to live.. even less because of the bad state my body is in... probably 2, 3 at most. We cannot kiss any more.... or anything like that... I could give you the disease."  
  
"I don't care" I reply. "I don't care whether i'm infected."  
  
"You don't understand. I know you don't care, but I do... Stay safe... for my sake at least. would you?"  
  
"I'm not sure... I don't know what to say..."  
  
I gain composure, and when he isn't looking, aim for his lips with mine, but he is to fast, and senses it. I end up kissing his cheek. "Why?" I moan.  
  
He smiles wanly "I and you are one. I can sense your kiss, even if i am not looking. Please promise?"  
  
"Ok." I grudgingly agree. Ash's mom has turned on soft music, and we drift of to sleep in each others arms.   



	7. Misty

(third person)

(third person)  
  
"Sir, we've run through the tests again, they don't show anything! I don't understand? This must be a horrible case!"  
  
"Ah, I've just purchased a new piece of equipment... Attach it to the B nob and loosen the X screw... And it should work... I hope..."  
  
10 minutes later...  
  
"Sir... Results are in. He has 3 months."  
  
"Thank your team for me. I appreciate it."  
  
"Yes doctor Josh."  
  
An hour passes...  
  
"Doctor... You called?" asks Misty.  
  
"I wanted to tell your boyfriend something.. But he couldn't come?"  
  
"..No, he was... Too weak.. Coughing up blood like crazy.. I wouln't normally have left him.. But... You said it concerned him."  
  
"Yes, we just received results he now only has 3 months to live.. I'm very sorry."  
  
"Oh..." says Misty meekly. "I guess I better tell him and his mom.."  
  
"Ja."


	8. Ash

(third person)

The pain wracks my body ceaselessly... Is Misty hiding something from me? It seems like I will die sooner. She's become more remote... no... we promised...  
  
"Ash?" Misty calls from the doorway.  
  
"Yes, my love?" I cough out, but I direct it away from her.  
  
"Its... Its gonna happen.." she collapses in a fit of sobs and hugs me tightly, transmitting all the love she feels, all her sadness through it.  
  
"Josh told me 3... 3 months." she kisses me on my cheeks and I cry silently with her.  
  
"When did he.. Tell you this?" I ask.   
  
"Y... Yesterday. I was going to tell you earlier. But I was just so shocked. We thought you had three years.. But now..." She sobs hysterically.  
  
I cradle her slim, shapely body... Giving her empty words of bravery..   
  
3 months... Just three months to do everything I wanted to do. To show her everything I feel... Its so impossible. Death? Death why are you so cruel?   



	9. Ash

2 months and 3 weeks later

2 months and 3 weeks later...  
  
I cannot walk now.. My strength has been sapped.. My death... I never thought I would think about it like this.. I'm so sorry Misty. I can't stay much longer...  
  
"Ash. I brought your Dinner." Misty calls.  
  
"Thank you" I barely croak out.  
  
"Don't talk, Ash. Rest after you eat. Tomorrow is a new day."  
  
I take her advice. "Misty... Brave misty.. Queen of my dreams.. Owning my heart.. Why art thou so beautiful.. Why am I so cruel? Sometimes death picks me up... I fight it every time. Just for you, Misty, its all for you."  
  
Misty curls up next to me and we fall asleep, hands clasped, minds linked, souls united, in peace. "...goodbye"


End file.
